“The Ninjutsu used by shinobi is essentially the combination of the Chakra within the body with external energy, released through specific methods.”
Yamato Nakajima stood on the podium, one finger pointing to a diagram on the blackboard while the other hand was tucked behind his back.
His voice wasn’t booming, but it was clear, ensuring every child in the classroom could hear.
Linbei sat up straight.
After two years of transmigration, this was his first official contact with the training system of a ninja.
Although he had long understood the basic principles of Chakra and Ninjutsu from the original series, theoretical knowledge was one thing, and actual hands-on practice was quite another.
“And to release Ninjutsu, two key elements are required.” Yamato Nakajima held up two fingers.
“First, the refinement and control of Chakra.
Second, hand signs.”
He wrote twelve characters on the blackboard: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Bird, Dog, Boar.
“These twelve signs correspond to the Twelve Earthly Branches and are the basic hand gestures for Ninjutsu seals.” Yamato Nakajima turned around to face the thirty-plus pairs of curious eyes.
“Each character corresponds to a specific hand gesture.
Different Ninjutsu require these gestures to be combined in different sequences.”
Linbei noticed that Itachi, sitting next to him, had already taken out a small pamphlet with diagrams of the twelve hand signs.
Itachi read very quickly; his gaze stayed on each sign for no more than two or three seconds before he began practicing them at his desk.
The learning speed of a genius was truly no joke.
“There’s no need to rush, everyone.” Yamato Nakajima smiled.
“I’ll demonstrate once, and you follow along.
Watch each sign clearly; don’t skip ahead.”
He raised both hands, fingers interlaced.
“Rat.”
Hands together, right thumb over the left.
“Ox.”
Right index and middle fingers curved, forming symmetry with the left.
Yamato Nakajima moved his hands very slowly, breaking down the signs almost frame by frame for the students.
Linbei stared at the hand positions, following along under his desk.
In his past life, he had watched *Naruto* and had a vague impression of the various hand signs, but this was the first time he had to be precise about the position of every single finger.
“Tiger.”
“Hare.”
“Dragon.”
One sign after another flowed from the teacher’s hands.
Linbei didn’t learn quickly, but he was diligent.
He discovered that although he had transmigrated, his physical coordination was much better than in his previous life—perhaps because this world’s body inherently possessed ninja talent.
He glanced at Itachi.
Itachi could already perform the twelve signs perfectly.
Though his speed wasn’t fast, every gesture was as standard as if he had practiced for a long time.
Linbei withdrew his gaze and continued his own practice.
It was normal not to be able to compete with Itachi.
He didn’t need to be number one; he just needed to stay alive.
“Very good, it seems everyone has mostly got it.” Yamato Nakajima clapped his hands.
“Next, I will demonstrate a Ninjutsu for you.”
The classroom went silent instantly.
The eyes of thirty-plus six-year-olds lit up in unison.
For these children who had just stepped onto the path of a ninja, seeing a teacher perform Ninjutsu with their own eyes was more impactful than any lecture.
Yamato Nakajima raised his right hand, resting his left hand on his right wrist.
“Today, I will demonstrate a rather special Ninjutsu—the Summoning Jutsu.”
He wrote a line on the blackboard: Summoning Jutsu: Contract Summoning.
“The Summoning Jutsu, simply put, is to sign a contract with a certain creature and call it forth to assist in battle when needed,” Yamato Nakajima explained.
“However, you don’t have contract partners yet, so I can only demonstrate this myself.
Just watch.”
Linbei’s attention sharpened instantly.
Summoning Jutsu.
In the original series, this was a very special Space-Time Ninjutsu that required a blood contract with the summoned creature.
Like Jiraiya’s toads, Orochimaru’s snakes, and Tsunade’s Katsuyu, they were all summoned beasts.
“Watch closely.”
Yamato Nakajima took a deep breath, his fingers blurring as they moved.
“Boar—Dog—Bird—Monkey—Ram!”
The five signs were performed in one fluid motion, many times faster than during the demonstration.
His hands slammed onto the podium—
*Poof!*
A cloud of white smoke erupted, and something could be seen moving within the haze.
As the smoke cleared, a palm-sized brown puppy sat on the podium.
It wore a miniature Konoha ninja vest and a tiny headband.
The puppy panted with its tongue out, its tail wagging like a small electric fan.
“Woof!
Woof!”
The classroom exploded with excitement.
“So cute!”
“Teacher, I want one too!”
“Summoning Jutsu is amazing!”
Yamato Nakajima smiled, picked up the puppy, and placed it on his shoulder.
“This is my summoned beast, Hachi.
Don’t worry.
Once your strength is sufficient, or if your clan has a summoning contract, you can learn this jutsu too.”
Linbei stared at the puppy, but his mind was on something else.
Summoning requires a contract.
Currently, he had neither a clan summoning scroll nor had he signed a contract with any creature.
This jutsu was currently just for show as far as he was concerned.
“Alright, everyone try the hand signs.” Yamato Nakajima clapped.
“Use the twelve signs I just taught and perform the sequence: Boar—Dog—Bird—Monkey—Ram.
Don’t use Chakra; just consider it finger practice.”
A rustling sound filled the classroom as thirty-some children began fumbling through the gestures.
Linbei raised his hands, recalling the teacher’s movements.
Boar—Right thumb hooking the middle finger, same for the left, hands overlapping.
Dog—Both hands in fists, thumbs extended.
Bird—Both hands spread, fingers joined.
Monkey—Hands joined, fingers interlaced.
Ram—Right hand on bottom, left on top, fingers crossed.
He tried to link these five signs together.
His finger movements were still stiff, his speed and fluidity nowhere near the teacher’s, but at least the shape of each sign was correct.
“Boar—Dog—Bird—Monkey—Ram.”
Linbei finished the last sign and subconsciously pressed his hands onto his desk—
*BOOM!*
A massive cloud of white smoke erupted without warning!
Everyone in the classroom was startled by the loud bang.
Yamato Nakajima whipped his head around, Itachi’s hands froze mid-air, and even a child napping in the back row was jolted awake.
The white smoke filled the entire front of the classroom, making the children in the front rows cough.
“Cough, cough—”
“What happened?”
“Who set off such a big smoke bomb?”
Linbei himself was coughing, his eyes stinging.
He felt something moving under his palms—something furry and quite large.
The white smoke gradually dissipated.
The noise in the classroom came to a dead stop in an instant.
Thirty-plus children, along with Yamato Nakajima, all stared with wide eyes, their mouths hanging open.
On Linbei’s desk—or more accurately, on what remained of the desk now that it had collapsed—sat a cat.
Not an ordinary cat.
This cat stood about half a person tall.
It had grey-blue short fur all over, with a round head and pointy ears, and white paws.
Most striking was its attire—a perfectly tailored black tailcoat, a snowy white shirt underneath, and a red bow tie at the collar.
It wore shiny little leather shoes and even leaned on a miniature cane.
The cat’s expression…
well, it looked like it had just been woken from a nap, glancing around the environment with utter bewilderment.
Then it saw Linbei.
The grey-blue cat tilted its head, staring at him with a “Who are you?” look.
The classroom was silent for a full five seconds.
“A…
a summoned beast?” a boy in the front row stammered.
“That’s not right.
Linbei didn’t use Chakra, did he?”
“And when did he sign a contract?”
Yamato Nakajima was the first to snap out of it.
He walked quickly to Linbei’s side, his gaze scanning Tom up and down.
His expression was complex—a mix of shock, confusion, and a hint of indefinable caution.
“Linbei Uchiha,” Yamato Nakajima’s voice was very low, “did you sign a contract with this summoned beast?”
Linbei shook his head.
“Then how did you summon it?”
“I don’t know.” Linbei’s voice sounded calm, but if one listened closely, a slight tremor could be heard in his tone.
He certainly wasn’t afraid.
He was excited.
This grey-blue cat in a tailcoat, this face he knew all too well from his past life—the round head, the iconic expressions, even the patterns on the cane were identical.
*Tom and Jerry.*
Tom.
A golden finger.
He had finally gotten his golden finger.
Yamato Nakajima knelt down and carefully checked for residual Chakra traces around Tom.
He frowned, muttering to himself, “No contract markings, no Chakra connection…
this isn’t scientific.”
Tom seemed dissatisfied with being gawked at.
He used his paws to adjust his bow tie, hopped down from the collapsed desk, and stood beside Linbei with his head held high, wearing an expression that said, “What are you mortals looking at?”
“Meow.” Tom let out a cry.
It wasn’t loud, but it possessed a strangely condescending aura.
Yamato Nakajima remained silent for a few seconds before deciding to set the matter aside for now.
He cleared his throat and addressed the class: “Alright, settle down.
I will investigate this matter later.
For now, we continue with the lesson.”
Although the children were full of questions, they had to obey the teacher’s command, turning back one by one with reluctance.
Linbei sat there, looking down at Tom standing by his feet.
Tom looked up at him as well.
The person and the cat locked eyes.
The corners of Linbei’s mouth curled up slightly.
He remembered a fact—in the *Tom and Jerry* cartoons, Tom was practically immortal.
No matter if he was flattened, blown to bits, or burnt to ash, he would stand back up perfectly fine in the next second.
And now, this cat was his.
Outside the window, the cloud that had obscured the sun had drifted away.
Sunlight spilled into the classroom once more, illuminating Linbei’s desk—or rather, the wreckage of it.
Tom yawned, patted Linbei’s calf with a paw, and then crouched by his feet, squinting his eyes.
It was as if he were saying: *From now on, I look forward to working with you.*
Linbei reached out and gently patted Tom’s head.
Warm and real.
He didn’t notice that from the moment Tom appeared, Itachi had been watching him and the cat with a scrutinizing gaze.
In those six-year-old eyes, there was a level of contemplation far beyond his years.